A torrent of flames erupted from beneath the earth, the ground splitting and collapsing in relentless waves. The sky flickered with an eerie red glow, thunder rumbled, and oppressive black clouds nearly pressed down to the surface. Wild winds howled, carrying embers in their wake. The world was vanishing, bit by bit.
With a deafening crash, the last survivors in Unreal Covenant—mostly children, with fewer than a hundred adults remaining—were gathered at the village's edge, terrified as they watched the ground beneath the floating island split open and fill with lava. A pitch-black maw chewed hungrily, and with each bite, everything around it crumbled.
Gradually, cracks appeared in the sky as well, black clouds swirling overhead. This world was being drained, spiraling toward annihilation. It seemed the end had arrived. Loraine Locke sat quietly beside Tan Tian's corpse, holding his hand; the body was so cold, it had lost all trace of warmth.
The gods were powerless now. No one had expected The Wraithlord, manipulating Hell itself, to greedily devour everything in this world. Legions of wailing ghosts circled the Unreal Covenant, relentlessly battering the shimmering barrier at its edge. Their entry was only a matter of time.
"Enter the Unreal Covenant."
At that moment, a voice rang out. Loraine Locke looked over; a beam of light descended in the center of the village, and then a door opened. The gods planned to lead the remaining survivors into the Unreal Covenant. Though some might die, if even a few could make it, hope might yet remain.
Loraine Locke did not immediately choose to enter the Shattered Unreal Realm. She continued to watch the advancing black island across from her—The Wraithlord was there, along with his three children. She knew all too well that even if she escaped to the Shattered Unreal Realm, it would only be temporary; The Wraithlord would inevitably follow. The gods wanted people to go there because Mother Goddess Nuwa was still in The Wraithlord's grasp.
Loraine Locke glanced back at everything behind her. The people, panic-stricken and utterly broken, had lost all will to fight. They began leading the remaining children into the Shattered Unreal Realm.
At that moment, a petite, sorrowful little girl stood beside Loraine Locke.
"Aren't you leaving?"
Mother, come here, be with us.
The Emperor God floated toward Loraine Locke, but with a sudden wave of her hand, he was hurled to the ground and instantly immobilized. Everyone saw that Loraine Locke's eyes had turned golden-red.
I've known for a long time—you may not be my equal, but we are the same. We were both the first people created by Mother. I'm a man, you're a woman.
The Wraithlord slowly approached Loraine Locke, raising a hand, but she slapped it aside.
Do you enjoy doing these things?
The Wraithlord shook his head.
I can't help it. My restless primal instincts drive me to slaughter everyone, Loraine Locke. I hope you can understand.
Loraine Locke said nothing, only raising her hands, eyes full of grief and rage. After observing the second generation of people for centuries, she had realized many things. She didn't want humanity to be destroyed.
Fine, if that's the case, I'll have to kill you, Loraine Locke, since you refuse to come over.
As the world collapsed, The Wraithlord and Loraine Locke began their final battle. Her doubts were finally resolved. She had never wanted to fight The Wraithlord, still holding onto a trace of sweetness in her heart. But after seeing her three children transformed, even that last bit of tenderness vanished.
The battle reduced the already shattered world to a black void of debris. The two fought fiercely, leaving only the Unreal Covenant untouched; everywhere else had vanished into black dust.
The battle raged on, with no victor in sight, growing ever more intense. On the thirteenth day, Loraine Locke finally fell, unable to fight The Wraithlord any longer, and retreated inside the barrier.
Loraine Locke's heart was full of hope for humanity. Though wars over food, survival, and territory had erupted over the past century, she remained confident in humanity's future.
Loraine Locke knew she could not defeat The Wraithlord. She delayed for time to test certain theories, and upon returning to the Unreal Covenant, her suspicions were confirmed.
Normally, a corpse would gradually decay, but Tan Tian's body did not. It seemed rooted to the earth—his skin pale, yet still vibrant. This unsettled everyone in the village. Rufina Howard watched over Tan Tian for thirteen days, witnessing all the changes and reporting them to Loraine Locke.
Unlike The Wraithlord, who sacrificed himself in the Unreal, Tan Tian had done so on this land. The earth's power surged into his body through the last patch of land beneath their feet, astonishing everyone.
The Wraithlord returned to his floating Hell throne, exhausted from the prolonged battle, but he seemed happy. He planned to spare the survivors for now and return in a hundred years to finish them off, having found much of interest in this war on humanity.
Mother, what do you think? This land now—compared to the sunny world before, isn't it bleak?
Nearby, Mother Goddess Nuwa remained silent in her cage, staring coldly at The Wraithlord. His three children appeared wooden, as if they'd lost all sense of self.
Feelings are a burden, so I took away all their emotions. I did it to make them happier.
Mother Goddess Nuwa continued to stare coldly at The Wraithlord, saying nothing.
Don't you feel even a little sad inside, Mother? You created me, and I became this way because of you. Isn't there even a trace of guilt or remorse in your heart?
The Wraithlord glared ferociously at Mother Goddess Nuwa, roaring in anger. He smashed the black throne with a slap, stood up, and floated into the air, laughing madly.
In that case, I'll destroy everything. Ha, you really are heartless, Mother.
The Wraithlord spoke coldly, his eyes turning blood-red. He was determined to destroy everything, and finally went to the Unreal to kill all the gods in front of Mother Goddess Nuwa.
At that moment, something astonishing happened in the Unreal Covenant—Tan Tian opened his eyes.
How long did I sleep?
After rising, Tan Tian's body was embedded in the ground, as if fused with it. With a little effort, his body became like mud, but soon he returned to normal. Staring at himself, Tan Tian was amazed, and anger surged within him, especially upon seeing only the children left in the village.
Tan Tian was strange now: no heartbeat, cold skin, no breath, unable to feel hot or cold. Though still conscious, he felt deeply disturbed by these changes—he had become a living corpse.
With a bang, everyone turned to look as The Wraithlord's fist smashed into the barrier, instantly causing massive cracks. Tan Tian slowly turned and flew out of the barrier, his hand piercing The Wraithlord's heart.
With a ripping sound, black blood splattered in the air. Amid the cries of the crowd, Tan Tian wounded The Wraithlord.
I've become just like you—a monster.
Tan Tian smiled, amazed by his transformation and by all he had witnessed during his thirteen-day slumber. Everything seemed to be layered, dazzlingly beautiful. Yet now, Tan Tian sensed something sad—his emotions were fading bit by bit.